


My Dear Doctor

by fallenandthefaithless



Series: November prompts [3]
Category: Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, behind closed curtains, very minor hurt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-04
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-08-17 13:17:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16517195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallenandthefaithless/pseuds/fallenandthefaithless
Summary: The clock had long since passed midnight when Holmes finally came home.





	My Dear Doctor

**Author's Note:**

> Another November prompt story. I ran out of time yesterday due to work so here is day 3 inspired by the prompt 'patching each other up'. Day 4 will also be uploaded tonight once I finish typing it up.
> 
> Enjoy!

The clock had long since passed midnight when Holmes finally came home. Watson could only hear a few people outside at this hour and even Mrs Hudson had retired for the night. He himself had been forced to remain behind due to his aching shoulder, a legacy from his time in the army, whilst Holmes had gone to carry out a reconnaissance mission.

Watson looked up from the book he had been dozing over as he heard Holmes’s footsteps on the stairs leading up to their rooms and stretched before putting his book down beside him on the settee.

The door swung open and Watson looked up, his greeting dying on his lips as he took in the sight of Holmes’ bruised and bloodied face.

‘Good God, man. What on earth happened?’ he cried as he sprung to his feet ad Holmes grimaced as he closed the door behind him.

‘Not so loud Watson. Waking Mrs Hudson is the last thing we need right now.’

Watson crossed the room and gently took hold of his friends shoulder. Up close it looked even worse but Watson could see that beneath the blood Holmes’s injuries were mostly superficial. He led Holmes over to the abandoned settee and helped lower him, his hand lingering until Holmes cast him an amused look.

‘I’m not so hurt that I shall fall apart, Watson,’ he said teasingly and Watson pulled back and went in search of his med bag. Despite his foray into his room only taking a minute by the time he’d returned to the living room Holmes had sunk into the cushions, his eyes closed and his fingers tapping against his knee.

A quick look confirmed to Watson that the heavy drapes were indeed pulled across the windows and the door had been firmly shut behind Holmes upon his entry. With these facts in mind he hurried across the room and lowered himself to the floor beside Holmes. His knees would protest later he knew, but he didn’t dare disturb Holmes to make room for him on the settee.

As it was Holmes opened his eyes almost instantly and tried to shift but Watson stilled him with a hand on his knee.

‘This shouldn’t take too long,’ he said softly and Holmes sank back into the cushions while Watson prepared a soft cloth to clean his friends face.

They sat in silence as Watson gently dabbed the blood from Holmes’s cheeks before he pulled out the plasters for the worst of his cuts. Watson focused on his job but he could feel Holmes watching him steadily.

Finally, he packed away the unused plasters and turned to see his companion smiling at him slightly and Watson couldn’t prevent himself from smiling back, if a little bemusedly.

‘Mind telling me now why you came home with more blood on your face then in you?’

‘You exaggerate Watson. It was merely a few scratches. And if I recall correctly you weren’t in the mind frame to listen to me when I first came in,’ Holmes pointed out with a smile and Watson huffed before he got to his feet. His knees cracked and he winced as his legs ached with his sudden movement.

‘You silly man,’ Holmes said, his voice softer and he caught hold of Watson’s arm to pull him towards the settee, moving Watson’s novel as he did so. Watson landed heavily next to Holmes, their sides pressing together with the limited space and Watson sighed as Holmes’s arm moved around his shoulders to pull him in closer until he rested along Holmes’s side.

‘So, how did you get those scratches,’ Watson asked and he couldn’t help but smile as Holmes’s face lit up.

‘Quite a turn it took, Watson,’ he said, his voice bright and loud, filling the room with his energy. ‘The man our client suspected did indeed turn up at the crime scene but he wasn’t alone. And the woman he was with certainly wasn’t his wife.’

‘So you were right?’ Watson sat up a little in order to look at Holmes better. ‘It was a crime of passion.’

‘One rarely murders another with a bat without passion of some sort being involved, Watson,’ Holmes replied airily. ‘In fact, Rubin’s part in Lord Geoffrey’s murder is quite clear. The woman was Geoffrey’s daughter.’

‘Surely not.’ Watson looked at Holmes with wide eyes while the detective nodded.

‘Clear as day, but the interesting fact wasn’t so much the daughters presence but why she was the one who killed her father.’

‘She murdered her own father?’ Watson asked.

‘Oh yes. She confessed after Rubin had been taken care of.’

‘You confronted them alone?’ Watson frowned, the mystery of Geoffrey's death vanishing in the face of his concern. Holmes turned to face him on the settee, forcing Watson to sit upright.

‘I had called the police. It’s not within my powers however to ensure they arrive on time. Rubin and Lady Alicia were leaving with evidence so of course I intervened.’

‘Of course you did.’ Watson shook his head and Holmes smiled at him.

‘All for a good cause, my dear Watson,’ he said. ‘Both Rubin and Lady Alicia were arrested and the case is closed.’

‘With your face paying the price.’

‘A small price to pay for the carriage of justice,’ Holmes said before smiling at Watson. ‘After all, I do have a doctor to look after me at the end of the day.’

‘Yes, well this doctor is prescribing you bed rest. It’s after one already and you have to see your brother tomorrow.’

‘I’ll cancel. I’m sure he won’t be heartbroken,’ Holmes scoffed before smiling again. ‘I have far better plans in mind to better occupy tomorrow with.’

‘Is that so?’ Watson couldn’t help but smile as Holmes got to his feet and held out his hand to Watson.

‘Oh yes. Very important plans,’ Holmes replied. ‘So you better clear your schedule Watson.’

‘These plans require us both?’ Watson grasped Holmes hand and let himself be pulled to his feet.

‘You are most definitely required. After all, I’d be lost without my dear John.’

Watson shook his head with a laugh and allowed Holmes to pull him towards the bedroom and into bed.


End file.
